


Vindicated.

by IggyBlue



Series: V. [11]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Fluff, M/M, goku - Freeform, kakavege, vegeta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-05
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-29 12:11:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7684069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IggyBlue/pseuds/IggyBlue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love is greater than hate. And mercy than vengeance. Humility than arrogance. This is the conclusion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vindicated.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry to those who love it, but I am wrapping this series up here. I've fallen in love and am going to be making some changes in my life; though some changes were made simply in that I don't care for certain things any more. Many thanks for every comment and kudos. It was wonderful. And I thank you all for enjoying this journey with me. This work was simply to fulfill what I myself wanted to read; so from here may your imaginations take you wherever you desire.

It was morning; earlier than Vegeta usually ventured out to meet Kakarot. The prince himself was in his en suite bathroom, still in lounge clothes, inspecting his chin in the mirror for stubble. Enough to have a shave, he decided.

_Bzzt_

He poked his head into his room, finding Kakarot there. "Hey Vegeta."

"What are you doing here so early?"

The man seemed a little subdued. "Oh... just wanted to see you. What are you doing?"

Vegeta looked back into his reflection. "Was just about to shave..." He ran a hand over his jaw as he inspected himself, and Kakarot appeared next to him, leaning against the door frame.

"Ah."

Vegeta suddenly felt awkward with the man watching him so intently through the mirror. "You're not invited." Kakarot turned decidedly glum, and Vegeta's resolve weakened. "Fine, you can stay." 

The man brightened only a little, stepping forward and gently feeling the skin of Vegeta's jaw. "You look handsome..." He mumbled fondly.

Vegeta's cock twitched in his pants. "Get out!" He roared, and Kakarot fled back into his bedroom. Vegeta sighed, wetting his face and applying shaving cream. "So anyway, Kakarot." He spoke loudly enough so they could converse even divided by the rooms.

"Yeah?"

"You like clean shaven or not?"

"I like both. A change is nice sometimes, though stubble is rough."

"Rough like me."

"You like to think that."

"Tch." He ran the razor over his upper lip and flicked off some of the cream into the sink. "So what did you want to do today, that you were so keen to come get me?"

"Aww, nothing much."

Vegeta continued shaving and the silence drew long. He shifted his weight to lean a hip against the sink. "That's it?"

"Yeah."

"That's unsatisfactory."

"My goodness, Vegeta. Can't a guy just chill with his pal?"

Despite having most of a beard left of cream, Vegeta appeared in the adjoining doorway to glare at Kakarot, who mustered a grin in response.

"Alright," Kakarot went on. "We'll train?"

"Sounds good."

"Then it's settled."

"You need a lot of work."

"Then you can help me, right?" Kakarot had appeared in the doorway again, and when Vegeta traced the man's gaze he found it decidedly fixated on his own backside.

" ** _Kakarot!!_** " He screamed in rage.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! Not doing anything! Whoa..." Kakarot had his hands up and was backing off as Vegeta turned back to his own reddened reflection.

"God _damn_ you, Kakarot."

~

Many hours that day were spent in training together. For the first time in a while, they each slid easily into their respective positions as fighters against one another. Practicing countless techniques and strategies never failed to bring either a challenge or a new point of interest about the other's style.

Kakarot, despite having been lazy as of late, came upon a deep reinvigoration through the physical effort, driven continually by his inherent need to rise to meet a challenge. Vegeta found within himself that his dormant flame of passion for battle had been kindled anew into a blazing inferno, demanding every move despite the ache of strain that so many hours heaped upon them both.

Their soaring powers, blazing away at their reserves relentlessly through their spar, drained them thoroughly; enough that when they each landed on the ground, neither moved to stand up. Vegeta closed his eyes.

~

The sky was a deep blue and littered with stars when his eyes opened again. A deep inhale drew cool, crisp air into his lungs; refreshing amidst aching muscles. Vegeta allowed his head to loll to the side, looking for context as to why he was there. He had a vague memory of an invigorating spar with Kakarot, and nothing else.

And he locked eyes with the man who was beside him, on his side and using an arm as a pillow. Kakarot. His eyes were round and pure as always, open and honest like the man himself. And the look adorning his face was something of an intense studiousness, as if taking in the prince's visage and committing it to memory. In that moment Vegeta felt truly adored, and the feeling was like nothing he'd ever before experienced. He let it wash over him, head to toe, and reveled in the weightlessness of Kakarot's acceptance. He bathed in the deep waters of Kakarot's unbridled love, spilling forth with not a word but a look.

And he felt whole; as if he'd found something he didn't know he'd been looking for. Of all places, in Kakarot's eyes.

But there was something in the way that Kakarot looked, as well, that told Vegeta that he'd been holding out more than was fair. He could see Kakarot's spirit dancing in the pupils of his eyes, only at a distance, never too close. Then he gave a little smile, rolling onto his back and looking up into the vast sky. Vegeta hadn't known Kakarot to forgo an opportunity to stare before, but he followed suit, looking up into the universe before them both.

Kakarot sighed a deep, contented breath beside him, and Vegeta noticed the fresh, cool scent of the night air in his nostrils. And something about the silence was making Vegeta uncomfortable; more bothersome than than being the first to break the silence, so he spoke. "It still feels weird to look at a full moon."

"Yeah? I got used to it a long time ago." The timbre of Kakarot's voice, quiet and thick in the night air, rattled something within him.

Vegeta wondered what the man was thinking, if he was even thinking at all. He'd always had the practice of silencing thought in favour of feeling, experiencing. Vegeta looked over at him, and he glanced back. "You okay Vegeta?"

"Yeah."

"What are you thinking about?"

"...You." He answered honestly.

"Oh," Kakarot quirked an eyebrow playfully. "Anything good?"

"Pssh, hardly."

Kakarot chuckled. "You're pretty deplorable yourself."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"But I thought you already knew it all, my prince."

"Very clever, you." He bristled fondly.

Silence settled between them before Kakarot's voice sounded again, more subdued this time. "Do you really think bad of me still, Vegeta?"

He huffed. "Wish I could."

"And why is that?"

It was a good question, Vegeta paused over it. "I don't know."

"Your guard is up all the time. But don't you think it would show a person more confident to just relax once in a while?"

"I get the point, but it's not that simple."

"I realise that. But hard doesn't mean impossible, or not worth a bit of effort."

"And I thought you had nothing going on in that brain of yours."

Kakarot's mouth quirked. "Nothing but you, my prince."

"You're on fire tonight. "

They each chuckled a little, the sound of Kakarot's voice pleasing to Vegeta's ears. It settled, and a slight breeze swept over them. The night air was tepid, heading towards cool, but remained comfortable.

"Hey Vegeta?" Kakarot asked into the night sky.

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever thought about kissing me?"

"...Yes."

"How come you haven't? "

Vegeta fidgeted, uncomfortable. "I don't know. Never found the right time..."

"Now would be a great time." Kakarot offered.

"Yeah?" Vegeta propped himself up on an elbow and glanced over at him, pondering. Then he leant over Kakarot's face and pressed their lips together. It was simple, the sensation of their lips against one another's. But with it brought a flurry of swarming feeling in his stomach and thumping through his chest, feelings so vivid yet inarticulable. And it was so soon that he felt it time to draw back. When they separated, Kakarot had a dreamy look in his eyes. He sighed happily and Vegeta leaned back, resuming his previous position lying on the ground next to him.

"We've broken the ice."

"What does that mean."

"It feels less uncomfortable now we've done it, right? The tension is gone, right?"

"Nnn." Vegeta agreed.

"Don't hesitate to kiss me whenever you feel like it," Kakarot mumbled. "I mean, you couldn't possibly kiss me too much. Please don't hesitate."

An amused huff. It felt shaky leaving his chest. "You're rambling."

"I am!" His smile was wide, it was evident in his voice. "Sorry. Gah!"

Vegeta chuckled a little at him, and Kakarot edged over, wriggling under Vegeta's arm to settle into the crook between his neck and his shoulder. Too shocked to react, Vegeta simply lay there, trying to keep his breath steady lest the other detect his frazzled nerves. The weight of Kakarot on his chest felt restrictive, but somehow nice. Like a heavy blanket, almost.

"Can I stay here, Vegeta? Does this make you uncomfortable?"

"It does, but... I can deal with it."

There fell between them an easy silence. As the minutes passed, Vegeta's anxiety gradually melted away. The other man was warm, his skin was thick, so intrinsically Saiyan, and felt right under his fingertips.

"Kakarot?" He asked, still gazing up at the stars above them both.

"Mm?"

"How did you know? How were you so sure?"

Kakarot breathed a few moments. "That I'm in love?"

"Yeah."

"God, it's a lot of things. I don't think it hits you like a wall," He was mumbling, "It comes on slow. For me, at first, it was just infatuation. Like an obsession."

"I had that too."

"For me?"

"Yeah."

Kakarot nuzzled into his neck, muffling a smile. Vegeta could feel it against his skin, before the man continued talking. "Once I realised that my obsession was... not a friendship thing, that was when I started thinking. And as time went on, when I thought about you... it was just... everything was better. Life was good, but now, it was even better cause you were in it. For me, that was the biggest tell. Of course it sounds insignificant, but the how it _feels_ is... indescribable."

"So, it's this... profound feeling?"

"I don't know, Vegeta, maybe it's different person to person. I get how the idea might be difficult to grasp though. For me, love - as a concept - has been something so familiar all my life. It always was my driving force. It's my motivation. So when I felt it, I knew."

Vegeta felt unsatisfied, he was looking for answers.

"Another thing, is that I saw you differently. Everyone has imperfections, but I can't see them in you."

"That's ridiculous."

Kakarot chuckled. "It's true."

"How's that?"

"Well I know you have them, but all I can see are quirks. Interesting things. Things I can work with."

"Huh."

"And, the spending time thing. I would do nothing forever with you. I don't need anything but to be with you." He cut himself off, perhaps realising what he'd said and reflecting on it.

Vegeta took in a deep breath, wondering if Kakarot could feel the minute rise in his chest.

"Yeah. Just. As long as I'm with you, that's all I want."

That facet resonated with Vegeta, but he said nothing.

"You're my world, Vegeta." Kakarot mumbled into his neck, settling in. A hand rested gently on his head, holding him in place against the scarred chest he leaned on, fingers idly running over his scalp.

"Maybe one day you'll get tired of me, Kakarot."

"Never."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Ever since I first met you," Kakarot mumbled into his skin, "I... there was something about you, I just knew you'd be important to me. I knew you were something else."

"You give every opponent a second chance, it seems."

"Mmm. I want to ask you the same, but I'm scared."

"If I'll get tired of you?"

"Yeah."

"You haven't bored me thus far."

"I mean romantically."

"Is that what we're doing now?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"Then I don't think I will. This is fine."

"Okay good." Kakarot breathed contentedly at Vegeta's warm skin as the man's fingers ran through his hair. "God, that feels good."

Vegeta chuckled deep in his chest.


End file.
